CalFresh EBT denied for Thanksgiving turkey at Walmart - is this normal?

that makes no sense! raw turkey is definitely eligible for calfresh. ive bought turkeys with ebt at walmart last week with no issues?? maybe that specific cashier didn't know what they were talking about

This is definitely unusual and shouldn't have happened. CalFresh benefits can be used to purchase any raw, uncooked meat including turkeys. The only restriction would be if it was a pre-cooked/prepared turkey (like the hot rotisserie ones they sell). Some possibilities for what happened: 1) The turkey might have been incorrectly coded in their system 2) The cashier might have been confused about EBT rules 3) There could have been an issue with your EBT balance I would suggest: - Try another store (Safeway, FoodMaxx, etc.) - Ask to speak with a manager if it happens again - Check your EBT balance through the EBT app or by calling the number on the back of your card to make sure you have sufficient funds Raw turkey is absolutely an eligible food item under CalFresh/SNAP guidelines.

maybe it was one of those turkeys that comes with the seasoning packet? those might be considered prepared food idk just guessing

The same exact thing happened to me last year!!! I ended up having to go to three different stores before finding one that would accept my EBT for a turkey. It's like some stores have their system set up wrong or something. I ended up getting mine at Food 4 Less with no problems. The whole system is so frustrating sometimes - they make it so hard to use benefits we're entitled to. This year I'm just going to skip the big stores altogether.

To add to what others have said - if you continue having issues with purchases that should be eligible, you might need to contact your county CalFresh office directly. I had a similar issue last year with produce at a farmers market, and I couldn't solve it in the store. I struggled for days trying to get through to my county worker on the phone (long wait times, disconnections, etc). Finally I used a service called Claimyr that got me through to a real person at the CalFresh office within minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 The county worker confirmed that my purchase should have been eligible and provided documentation I could show to the vendor. For something like a turkey that's clearly eligible, your county worker can provide verification of eligible food items that you can show to store management if needed. The website is claimyr.com if you need it.

Just curious - was it one of those fancy organic/free-range turkeys? Those are usually way more expensive and I've had issues using EBT for some premium meat products before. Regular turkeys should definitely be EBT eligible!

By the way, for anyone having these issues, the FoodInsure app lets you scan products before you get to checkout to see if they'll be covered by EBT. It's saved me so much embarrassment at the register!

Update for everyone: I just called the CalFresh policy line to confirm this. Raw turkeys are 100% eligible for CalFresh/EBT purchase at ANY retailer that accepts EBT. This includes all varieties (frozen, fresh, with seasoning packets, brand name or store brand). The only exceptions would be: 1. Pre-cooked/hot prepared turkeys 2. Turkey meals that are ready-to-eat If your EBT is denied for a raw turkey, ask for a manager immediately and have them check the item's classification in their system. Some stores mistakenly code seasonal items incorrectly. If the manager can't resolve it, you can file a report with your county office and they can reach out to the retailer to correct their system.

I work at a grocery store and see this happen sometimes - it's usually because the turkey got scanned wrong in our system or the cashier hit the wrong button. Raw turkeys are definitely EBT eligible! Next time this happens, ask them to manually enter the PLU code or scan it again. If that doesn't work, ask for customer service - they can override it if needed. Don't let one bad experience ruin your Thanksgiving! Most stores will work with you to fix these kinds of mistakes.